Hyperbola

 HYPERBOLA

- set of all coplanar points such that the difference of its distances from two fixed points is constant.

Vertices

- intersects the focal axis in two points

Transverse axis

- the endpoints of a segment

Focal axis or Principal axis

- The axis that contains the foci, the center, and the vertices of the of the hyperbola

Conjugate axis

- axis that plays an important role in defining the hyperbola.

- Has no point in common with the hyperbola.

- Perpendicular to the transverse axis at the center.

Latus rectum

- segment passing through a focus of the hyperbola that is perpendicular to the focal axis.

Auxiliary Rectangle

- that is not part of the hyperbola plays an important role in graphing the hyperbola.

- A pair of opposite sides of the rectangle passes through the vertices. These are perpendicular to the transverse axis. The other pair passes through the endpoints of the conjugate axis.

Asymptotes

- pair of lines that is closely related to but also not part of the hyperbola

- intersect at the center of the hyperbola

- Each of the asymptotes passes through the opposite vertices of the auxiliary rectangle.